PRESIDENT Fidel Castro urged territorial leaders to have a greater ability to take action, particularly municipal authorities and People’s Power delegates, when faced with changing climate conditions and food and energy prices on a world scale.

"We must work with a mentality that is economic but revolutionary, and have at our disposal information that is up to date and precise in order to take advantage of diverse situations in the international markets," Fidel affirmed.

The Cuban president made his remarks during the 7th Ordinary Period of the 6th Legislature of the National Assembly of People’s Power, which took place June 10 at the International Conference Center in Havana.

Fidel warned about future complications for food production, which he described as very serious, given that millions of tons of cereals like corn, soy and wheat are currently being used to manufacture alcohol and compensate for fuel deficits.

"The world is not prepared to deal with this energy crisis," he stated.

In Cuba’s case, he said, through a rational analysis that favors conservation, changes must be made with regard to the crazy, ridiculous waste that accumulated during the Special Period.

Fidel spoke several times, reiterating the challenges and rapid solutions that the Revolution must take up.

"The country is capable of dealing with issues that harm efficiency and conservation," he said. "The challenge that revolutions face is solving difficulties that come up; and it turns out that addressing one problem, uncovers another one, and then another," he added.

The Cuban president affirmed that it was very important to provide the people with responses in a way that is reassuring, given that every issue will gradually have its solution.

"During this entire time, the needs and income of family units have been studied," he noted. "Every day, we review each aspect. And always, before any decision, the sector with the least financial resources is taken into account."

He called for an end to old ideas that are currently holding back Cuba’s development, and for greater control to prevent theft in ports and warehouses. "We have an army of economists to help us in controlling that. This country has everything necessary to establish order," he said.

Fidel described capitalism as an incurable virus, and spoke in favor of sorting out socialism, a system that has shown many times over its humanism and its solidarity.

The largest investment program in the food industry was discussed during this National Assembly session, and Alejandro Roca, minister of that industry, noted that its average growth over the last five years has been 10% annually.

Last year, six products showed the highest production rates for a 12-month period, without necessarily satisfying the needs of the population or the economy, Roca said. Those products were: bread, soy yogurt, crude vegetable oil, processed meats, export beverages and soft drinks.

One area of investment highlighted by the minister for its importance was the remodeling and expansion of wheat mills, which currently have a 600,000-ton capacity for producing flour.

In order to continue improving the quality and quantity of bread, 980 modules for modern electric ovens have been purchased from China, and 120 of them have already arrived in the country, to be used for modernizing facilities throughout the provinces.

Other important investments mentioned by Roca include the expansion and modernization of facilities for producing soy yogurt and packaging it in plastic bags. In the first stage, this investment has ensured the product for children 7 to 13 years old, and for school-time snacks in junior high schools.

Roca also noted the concentration and remodeling of cooking oil refinement facilities, and two lines that have built for producing pasta. In addition, lines for producing ground meat and patties were remodeled with modern technology, and expansion work is being done to make more pork available.

With a view to ensuring continuous operations in food production, 430 generating plants have been installed since the second semester of 2005, the minister explained.

Cuba, a blockaded country, raised daily protein consumption levels in 2005 to an average of 88 grams, and carbohydrates to more than 3,300 kilocalories, placing the country among the top Latin American countries in these nutritional needs, while also representing an important contribution to improving health indicators.

In less than eight months, via the installation of generating plants synchronized with the National Electric Power System, Cuba increased its electricity generating capacity by more than 1,000 megawatts, which represents almost 50% of what the country needs during peak demand hours.

Yadira García, minister of basic industry, noted that the installation of the aforementioned facilities, which run on diesel, will continue until October. By that month, the contribution by those plants should have risen to 1,432 megawatts.

As part of the country’s energy revolution, more than 10 million electric appliances have been distributed for food preparation in the home. Seventy percent of families on the island now have these appliances, enabling them to set aside traditional high-cost fuels that did not meet the needs of the population.

In presenting the new law, Attorney General Juan Escalona Reguera commented that it was preceded by a long process of discussions throughout the structure of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) and the Ministry of the Interior.

It was also debated by parliamentary deputies, judges, prosecutors and jurists, who presented their opinions and proposals, demonstrating the effective participation of the people in exercising power and in acting as the nation’s top legislator.

The new law, which replaces Law No. 1310 of 1976, takes into consideration the experiences of the Military Prosecutor’s Office over the law’s 30 years of existence and the current institutional structure of the Cuban Armed Forces, and establishes the organization and functioning of that justice agency.

It also specifies its sphere of action within the Ministries of the FAR and the Interior as well as their enterprise systems, and determines its integration into the Attorney General’s Office, to which it is attached.